Why Google+ Deserves Marketers' Attention

You've made social media commitments to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and you've been playing with Pinterest. Now, it's time to stop resisting Google+.

Really.

There are several good reasons, as I see it, starting with demographics. First, according to Google, its social network now provides you with access to a potential audience of 500 million users. Only half of the Facebook audience, but nothing to laugh at. Who are these people? In a word, influencers. Young, educated and hip, these folks aren't following trends, they are setting them. Reach them, and you can reach the substantial networks they command. This is a precious group of early adopters and first followers who should not be neglected. And Google+ is cosmopolitan, with two-thirds of its users located outside the United States.

It's a Google product. The same relentless tinkering and constant improvement that made Google Search, Gmail, and a whole herd of lesser-known products arguably the best on Earth is being applied to Google+. The more you use it, the more great features you will find, and the more you will appreciate all the thought that's gone into making it a user-first experience.

It's integrated with other near-ubiquitous Google services. Seventy-two hours of video get uploaded to Google's YouTube every minute. If you want to subscribe to a video feed, comment on a video, make a playlist, or mark a favorite, it's much easier if you have a Google+ account. One hundred million people take a social action on YouTube every day, many of them logged in via their Google+ accounts. And, Google recently threw a few extra perks to YouTube users who were willing to link their accounts with their Google+ account.

You'll be ahead of the pack. Don't you wish you'd been the first in your market segment on Facebook or Twitter? Did you miss out on the first wave of Pinterest? Don't even know what to do with Reddit and StumbleUpon? Earn your stripes with Google+.

It's here for the long-term. Google continues to throw all of its might behind its alternative to Facebook, frequently adding new features and requiring new users of other Google products to set up Google+ accounts. These are just a couple of the reasons Google+ is the fastest growing social network.

Still not sold? Here are a few brands that are already making a splash on Google+:

• Red Bull: Get your wings with this active and colorful page, filled with all the adrenalin you can handle. Recent posts covered skiing, surfing, and the Dakar Rally.

• ESPN: Sports, sports, and more sports, of course, along with all sorts of pop-culture tie-ins. ESPN's page is always up to date and often has a humorous bent.

• BMW: Owner stories, links to its sub-brands, and a focus on the premium work to satisfy current owners and aspirational followers.

• NASA: Yes, the space agency. Visit its page to catch up with between five and 15 updates every day and a great use of video and other eye-candy to keep people coming back.

Access to millions of young influencers. Bombproof Google reliability. Steady innovation. Tight integration with other popular platforms. You continue to ignore Google+ at your peril.